The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-05-28

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AZ days, as Of old, but to 100 or l2j Gays al
the utmost, and the expense to less than
half of what 1t now Is.
County Talk.
The Peru NeuS Werald says that on Tues.
day last Chief Engineer Upton Of the Chi.
cago, Burlington Il Northern railroad, and
Mr.. Osgood, representing the president,
and Mr.. Engle, the chief constructing
engineer of the same road, were In that
city, and after going over proposed route
through the two cities, announced that
their company were ready To and would
construct road through the Twin cities,
provided free right Of way be given. The
route proposed is from the Walnut branch
of the c., b. IL q. to Peru and La Sale,
crossing the Illinois river at La Sale, and
running thence 10 Streator. The prospect
tempts the NerS Herdid 10 double.leaded
editorial, closing with the following he
markable peroration: The building of
this road into the Twin cities will certainly
be followed by others, and, in short, the
raising of the few thousand dollars nee
essary 10 procure the right Of way is the
hinge on which hangs our future, whe Their
Peru and La Sale shall take rank and
place such as their natural advantages en-
title them 10, or sink back into the lethargy
of coming decay" The Ne,cS Herdld is
really excited, tor the first time since the
Rock Island road was projected
"If you FREE TRADER says the Strea-
tor Ind -ItNteS edited, as we understand IT,
by remains of Il very poor pill roller, ARE
opposed to anarchy, insist manfully that
the men guilty of robbing the people of
La Sale county, rich as well AS poor, shall
be punished and made to disgorge their
Ill. gotten gains, then you need have no
fears of anarchy" That is just exactly what
the FREE TRADER and every other honest
man wants. But the FREE TRADER wants
this work to be done by and in the legally
constituted courts of La Sale county, and
not by red mOuthed socialists whom God in
His inscruitable wisdom permits for time
usurp HIS prerogative in the village of
Hardscrabble.
The TT and Journal are of the same
piece. They are the off shoots of Col Ralph
Plumb's political ambition. They assume
to dictate not only what we shall eat and
what we shall drink, but also how judges
of our court shall decide law questions
presented before them, threatening them
with social and political damnation if they
dot behave to suit them. OF course, they
kick and howl and Call men liars and
thieves when the truth is told, but it is
truth all the same. Here, for example, Is
a fair specimen of their behavior, exhibited
this week, touching cause not involving
u rObbing the county, The Ottawa Joar-
nal on Tuesday said A case very much
on the pattern of the late defunct Reddick
will spec is occupying Judge Dlanchard's
court this week The difference between
this and the Reddick job is, that they wait
ed until Reddlck was dead but in this
they are attacking Col Plumb while he is
alive. A man named Campbell. living
down somewhere IN the timber in Central
Illinois, has tshed out an old claim against
the Colonel when he was president of the
old Paducab road. Campbell built a bridge
for the road on which the company paid
s. 600 In cash and $4,000 in bonds. The
bonds deprecated and now Campbell, af.
ter waiting until after the statute of limita-
tons has almost run against his claim, sues
to make Col. Plumb personally to make
the bonds good. As a matter of course,
Col Plumb is not in that business and re-
fuses to be bled. Campbell has an attor-
ney named Rhinehart on hand, who looks
like an escaped attache of Buffalo BilPs
wild west, and Jim Duncan to do the eX-
tracing of the necessary Doodle. They
are using great deal of wind power and
bellows business, but the thing don't seem
10 sail along much. The case Will be fin
ished tomorrow. The Colonel says it is
his first law suit in "A quarter of "A century
and this alleged claim is | years old"
The Ind. Times repeats the story with
variations IN minor chord. This is Il fail
specimen of the manner in which indie.
pendent newspapers try cases between pri-
vate individuals coming up for trial in the
law courts. As the verdict in the case was
AGAINST Col. Plumb and Mr. Campbell's
damages assessed at $4,000 it will doubt
less be followed by another CRITICISM" y
of the presiding judges law knowledge
and general behavior on The bench. If La
Sale county people want that sort of legal
rights as a regular prescription, they can
Keep right on pattnS tol. lIumo organs
on the back, and they will get all they want
and probably more, too In other words,
the litigant will have 10 buy his peace
from the independent press before he
dares To go into court, no matter how right
eous his cause,-put up retainer to the
press as politicians must deposit the price
OF peace now.
1t Is a noticeable fact that at the opening
of each campaign in this county certain
La Sale paper arrogates unto itself the
presumption of debating 10 the democratic
party Of La Sale county what measures
shall be employed in regard TO the FREE
TRADER, what the candidate shall be
charged for support when placed in uomi
nation, and what line of political policy
shall be pursued to defeat him if he doesn't
put up. This arrogance is entirely charac-
teristic of the Democrat Press, and has, on
more occasions than one, been the source
of occasional trouble and scandal without
and within the party ranks This is lit
tie chestnut that Reddick biennially per-
petrates. This year il happens that he got